That's Life
by Goddess of LOVE82
Summary: Yes! A Junko fic! Zuko and Jun are sailing on a stolen ship looking for the Avatar and finding love. Meanwhile, Aang and his friends make a new friend.
1. Chapter 1

**Warning: Episode 19 and 20 Spoiler If you have not seen the season finale, this may not make sense.**

**Check this out. A Zuko/Jun story brought to you by the author that brought you "The Best of Times and the Worst of Times" (To all you Kim Possible fans)**

**Warning: It's late and I'm kinda hyper, so I don't know how good this first chapter will be!**

**Remember to review! **

**Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender **

Prince Zuko groaned with disgust. In just a few short days, all he had had come crashing down on him. He had no crew. He had no ship. He had no honor. He had no FOOD (A/N Hey! That's what I'd miss!). He had only his fat old uncle. Wait, where _was_ his fat old uncle? Prince Zuko whipped around and realized he had misplaced his uncle in the busy market. Growling, he briskly walked away from the harbor, pushing peasants and merchants out of his way.

_He's probably at the tea stall._

Zuko thought, and then hurried off. Sure enough, Iroh had blown a good part of their money on Ginseng tea.

"Uncle, we don't have time to waste. We need to…"

But he was cut off as he realized that someone was staring impatiently at them. It was Jun, the bounty hunter they had encountered a while back, arms folded, whip hanging at her hip.

"Good morning. May we help you?" Iroh asked politely.

"Yes. I heard you came into some misfortune. That you needed a new crew."

"Uuuummm, we're not really interested in…" Zuko was cut off again by his uncle kicking him in the shins.

"Please excuse my nephew and I for a moment." Iroh rushed Zuko out of earshot.

"What was that for? We don't need a crew! And especially not her!" Zuko hissed angrily.

"Consider, Prince Zuko. It would be a very good experience for you."

"We don't have any money to pay her!"

"Ah, but she doesn't know that!"

"Forget it Uncle."

But Iroh had already gone back to Jun.

"You're hired," he said firmly.

"_What!_" Zuko's anger surfaced.

"Great. I'll go load my stuff. Where's your ship?"

Zuko folded his arms and scowled at Iroh who only said

"Our ship also suffered some misfortune."

"I see. You don't have one."

"Exactly. No ship, no crew," Zuko said. Jun shrugged.

"So let's go pick one out." And she turned on her heel and walked down the row of ships in the harbor. Zuko and Iroh ran to catch up with her.

"How about that one?" She pointed to a tall Fire Nation war ship, bigger than the one Zuko had lost.

"Wait, do you mean we're going to _steal_ it?" Zuko asked, horrorstruck.

"I prefer to think of it as…borrowing?" Jun climbed aboard. Filled with awe, Zuko followed, Iroh at his heels. Jun located the control room and spun the steering wheel. With a low groan, the ship creaked out of the harbor and into the sea. While Jun steered, Zuko turned to his uncle and said

"We're stealing a ship. We just stole a ship! Is this what you wanted me to experience Uncle!"

The old general, however, seemed quite unnerved.

"She does have her own way of doing things. Now if you'll excuse me, I think I'll go find the kitchen."

He left Zuko alone with Jun, who continued to steer as if they had done nothing more interesting than sit down to dinner. Rubbing his temples, wishing he could rub away his problems, Zuko wondered what life had in store for him now.

**So, what'd ya think? Reviews, man!**


	2. Chapter 2

**SO SORRY I took so long to update! I have been SO busy lately! Corpse Bride came out on DVD! WOO HOO! Must buy!**

**All right, so that 'new friend' I've promised is in this chapter. Plus, Jun and Zuko get pretty cozy.**

**THIS CHAPTER HAS BEEN APROVED BY MY AVATAR-HATING FRIEND!**

**Injoi! **

Life progressed relatively smoothly aboard the stolen ship. Jun, Zuko, and Iroh spent the remainder of the day exploring. The ship's previous owners must have been very wealthy, because it was bursting with weapons and armor. The following day they traded away some of it for money and managed to attract a full crew, many thanks to Jun. Most of the smelly, dirty scoundrels hadn't seen a woman in months.

Later, Zuko decided to clear his head, exercise his body and mind, and get away from everyone for a while. He went up to the deck and practiced his Firebending. Breathing in the salt air, feeling the flame flowing smoothly felt so good. So right after all that had gone wrong. So peaceful to be alone. Except, he wasn't alone. Jun had skulked up to watch him. Iroh had told her Zuko was a decent Bender, but Jun, not a good judge, thought he was pretty good. Better than good… Something about how he whipped around, hair flipped around his head, bare chest rippling seemed very attractive to her.

"Can you teach me?" Jun suddenly blurted out.

Zuko spun around to finally notice her, surprise etched into his face. Jun flushed a little. She hadn't meant to actually talk.

"I mean the fighting style; you can't really teach me Firebending," she said quickly, sinking back into her mysterious personality. Zuko scratched the back of his head.

"I suppose so…"

Smiling slightly, Jun pulled off her boots and – to Zuko's very great surprise – undid her shirt to reveal a black camisole. She faced her teacher and waited his instruction.

"All right, try to block this."

Zuko abandoned his use of fire and kicked out with his bare foot right over her shoulder. He tried to go easy, figuring he'd hurt her. He didn't. Moving with catlike reflexes, Jun blocked his attack with her arm and forced him to the ground.

Shocked, Zuko jumped up tried again. He attempted to throw a punch, but Jun knocked him down again. Sparks in his eyes and temper rising, Zuko struck out by her side. A tongue of flame narrowly missed her. Now annoyed as well, Jun brought her foot up by his head, but he finally stopped her, sending out another burst of fire. Jun snapped. She threw herself onto Zuko, socking him in the jaw. Outraged, he fought back. The two of them tumbled to the ground, thrashing around violently. Just then, luckily, as both young adults were getting awfully bruised, General Iroh came up to the deck for a bit of fresh air, cup of tea in hand. He stared until Jun and Zuko stopped.

It was a strange scene. Zuko was lying on top of Jun, whose right camisole strap had burned in two, so that the camisole sagged slightly at her shoulder. She bent her head back so she could see the old general.

Iroh gave them a look that very clearly said "Get. A. Room" and went back below.

Zuko slowly rolled off Jun and laid on his back. In spite of himself, he couldn't help but smile. Here he was, lying on the deck of a stolen ship after having his butt kicked by a woman, and having his uncle walk in on what looked like an exploit sex scene. He heard a soft chortling by him and realized that Jun was laughing. He laughed too, for the first time in months. It took Zuko a moment to discover that he was happy, something he hadn't been in a while. The two of them got to their feet and went down below. While most of Zuko's brain focused on cleaning himself up and nursing his wounds, a small, private corner replayed the afternoon. It wasn't easy to forget how Jun's body had felt on his…

Jun+Zuko3 Jun+Zuko3 Jun +Zuko3 Jun+Zuko3 Jun+Zuko3 Jun+Zuko3 

In the world of Meanwhile, Sokka, Katara, and Aang were hard at work looking for an Earthbending teacher. At the time of Jun and Zuko's fight, they wandered through a thick forest.

"Come on, can we stop _now_?" Sokka whined. "We've been walking for three hours!"

"Sokka!" Katara gave him one of her Ultra-Mature looks. "We have to find Aang a teacher!"

"Well, what teacher in their right mind would live _here_!" he grumbled and gestured at their surroundings. Katara rolled her eyes and continued walking.

"You never know, Sokka," Aang said, optimistic as always. "We could find something really amazing our here!"  
He didn't expect to right. But just then, a flash of purple light showed between two trees.

"Look!" Aang pointed it out. "It's coming closer!"

"What is it?" Katara hesitated a little.

"Hmmm, maybe it's an EARTHBENDING TEACHER!" Sokka was getting hungry and grouchy. The light shimmered closer. It was as tall as Katara, and moved rather timidly. It turned and made motions for them to follow them.

"Let's go!" Aang shouted and bounded after it. Katara went after him and Sokka, sighing and moaning complaints to himself, finally came too.

The light moved with staggering speed. The group had to run to keep up. It went over a stream, through trees, and went into a huge stone cave. It stopped to make sure the party had kept up. Then the light went straight up a rock cliff. Aang, Katara, and Sokka climbed up after it, Sokka with some reluctance.

"Wow," Aang reached the top first and peered around. Though it was still sunny outside, the top was shadowed in darkness and wound into a maze of tunnels. The purple light waited for the others to catch up and plunged into a pathway. As they traveled, Katara noted that the walls were coated with dust and cobwebs, souvenirs of years of neglect. Longer and longer they walked, right down to the end of the rock hallway. They came to a large room. The light moved to the middle of it so they could see what was inside. Aang, Katara, and Sokka all gasped. Seated on a boulder was a girl. She looked to be about Sokka's age and was very pretty, with dark skin and black hair. But she wasn't breathing. Her eyes were closed. She wasn't dead, but she certainly wasn't alive either. The light motioned to Aang. He stepped toward the girl and held out his arm. This seemed to be what the light wanted, because it quickly moved between the Avatar and the girl.

_Whoosh!_ The light magnified a hundred times, filling the room and creating a burst of energy. Katara and Sokka were blown back against the wall. Then, suddenly, it was quiet again. The light was gone, but the young travelers noticed the room was lined with torches that had become ignited in the blast. The girl stirred. She opened her eyes and got off her boulder. She smiled. Her eyes were a deep brown and her hair was tightly corn-rolled to her head. Her outfit consisted of a simple light brown shirt that wasn't long enough to cover her navel, and pants, unusual at the time. But the girl's most distinguishing feature was a purple swirl that decorated her stomach. Her forehead also had a swirl.

"Hi!" she said brightly. "My name is Latifa. I'm a Lifebender, you're the Avatar, and I'm really glad that you found me."

The group was stunned.

"A Lifebender? So you're real then!" Aang said.

Lifebenders were thought to be myths, a fifth nation. The other nations had told stories about them, years ago, about strange encounters and occurrences with them. But the stories had stopped before Katara and Sokka were born.

"What's a Lifebender?" Katara asked.

"The Fifth Element," Latifa explained enthusiastically. "We were once a proud group of people. But now…" She seemed to wilt. "Now I guess they're all gone."

"What happened?"

"Fifty years ago, my people lived here, on this land. And we were happy. I was happy. But then…" she looked away. "The Fire Nation attacked. They outnumbered us seven to one. Yet, we fought back. But we could see that we were going to lose."

"Now wait a minute," Sokka interrupted. "You mean to say that _you_ were there, _fifty_ years ago?"

"Yeah, Mr. Skeptical, let me finish my story! Now then, a few weeks before the attack, my grandmother taught me a new Lifebending move. It was very difficult, so I worked relentlessly to master it."

"What was the move?" Aang asked, always interested in learning new skills.

"We called it _hikihanisu_; separating one's body from their life. That's easy when it comes to separating other people; a five-year-old Bender could do it. But separating your _own_ self is something quite different. I learned it just in time. When the Fire Nation attacked, my mother told me to run. Just to run away. I was so scared, I did. I ran here, my old hideout. I used to come here all the time as a little child, where my brothers couldn't find me. But as an extra precaution, I did _hikihanisu_ to myself. And I waited. For three weeks."

"You can do that?"  
"Yeah. When you are separated from your body, you don't need food or anything. So after three weeks, I decided that the Fire Nation really was gone. I tried to return to my body, but it had been so long, that my body had forgotten me."

"_Forgotten_ you?" Sokka crossed his arms over his chest. He definitely wasn't buying any of this.

"YES! God, you don't believe anything, do you? ANYWAY, what could I do? My family was dead and I couldn't get back into my body. So I waited some more. In fact, I went into a trance and waited in this cave for fifty LONG years."

"So what made you wake up today?" Katara asked. Latifa smiled.

"I heard you guys. Stomping around outside, COMPLAINING ABOUT THINGS, MR. SKEPICAL, and so I came to see what was going on. When I saw that Aang was the Avatar, I led you here."

"Hey," Aang was taken back. "How'd you know my name?" Latifa smiled again.

"Another basic Lifebending skill. I can see into your mind." She came up to Katara and looked directly into her eyes. The swirl on Latifa's head glowed a little. Then she pulled away.

"You're Katara. From the Water Tribe. Your dad's at war and your mother was killed in a Fire Nation attack too."

"That's right," Katara said, genuinely impressed.

"Lucky guess," Sokka scoffed.

"Excuse me?" Latifa's smile lessened.

"I'm just _saying_," Sokka put on his usual Power Stance-I know Everything act. "How do we know you're really who you say you are? Who are you, really?"

"I…" Latifa drew in a deep breath. "Am…" She raised her arms up and took a step toward Sokka. "A…" She took another step and scowled. Sokka looked scared. "LIFEBENDER!" Latifa's swirls glowed and with a great sweeping motion, another shimmery light came into the room. Sokka's body sagged against the floor and Latifa twisted and pushed the light around in fantastic shapes. With complete concentration, she returned Sokka to his body. The shock made him fall to the ground.

"That was incredible!" Aang cheered. Sokka groaned and sat up.

"You deserved that." Katara smiled.

"Yes, well, do you believe now, Mr. Sokka?" Latifa looked triumphant.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, you got me, amazing, now if you'll excuse us, we must be on our way. We have an Earthbending teacher to find." Sokka stumbled to his feet.

"Oh," Latifa's smile instantly faded. "You really have to go?"

"I'm sorry," Katara said. "But we really do have to find Aang a teacher.

"Okay, I understand. Well, I guess I'll be going then. See you guys later." With a sad little wave, the Lifebender turned to leave.

"Wait," Aang stopped her. "How about you come with us?" Latifa whirled around and grinned.

"Yes! I'd love to! I'd go pack my stuff, but I don't have any stuff! Yes! This is great! When can we leave? Can we leave now? Can I meet your flying buffalo, Aang? Appa?"

"What!" Sokka fumed. "We can't take her! There isn't enough…Appa! There isn't enough Appa to go around!" But nobody heard him. Katara and Aang were too busy bombarding Latifa with questions to pay attention to a grouchy Water Tribe warrior. Grumbling to himself, Sokka followed the chattering group outside into the sunlight.

Jun+Zuko3 Jun+Zuko3 Jun+Zuko3 Jun+Zuko3 Jun+Zuko3 Jun+Zuko3 

It was quiet. And dark. But peaceful. The ship gently rocked back and forth into the night. Jun rolled over in her sleep. Her eyes lazily opened. There was so much cargo aboard, some of it was being stored in Jun's room. She watched it now, several crates sliding around at the foot of her bed. She heard the clink of glass, then the sliding sound. Clink, slide, clink, slide. Suddenly, there was a louder crashing noise. Instantly awake, she sat upright and stared at the crates. Slide, _crash_! Green smoke misted out. Jun leaped put of bed and ran out, slamming the door behind her. Slide, BOOM! There was an explosion inside. Breathing heavily, she slumped against the door, and tried to decide what had just happened. Luckily, Iroh heard the crash and came to investigate.

"Jun! Are you alright?"

"I…fine. Wha…what happened?" She gasped. "Something blew up." Iroh took a scroll out of his pocket and studied it.

"Hmmmmm, yes, we were using your room to store 500 liters of toxic gas. The movement of the ship must have broken the bottles." Jun groaned.

"Great. Now what?"

"What's going on here?" Zuko boomed down the hallway to see what was disrupting his ship.

"Oh, nothing. My room is full of poisonous gas. Nothing out of the ordinary."

"Great. Don't we have another room for her?" Iroh consulted his scroll again.

"No. Between the crew and the cargo, everywhere's full. There's no extra space. Except…"

"Except _what_?" Zuko did not appreciate being woken up in the middle of the night and was getting aggravated. His uncle looked up from the list.

"Except for _your_ room, Prince Zuko. You have the largest on the ship." Zuko's eyes widened.

"No way! She is _not_ getting my room!"

"Uh, hello! _She's_ right here! And I don't want your room anyway!" Jun put her hands on her hips and glared at him.

"Well, where _are _you going to sleep?"

"Well, maybe I'll just sleep on the deck!"

"Fine!"

"Or maybe I'll sleep in the kitchen!"

"Fine!"

"Or maybe I'll just sleep on the floor of your room!"

"FINE! That's just fine with me! Great! Fantastic! I can't wait! Fine!

"Fine!"

"Good night Uncle!"

"Good night Iroh!" Zuko and Jun marched down the hall together. In spite of the situation, Iroh smiled. _Teenagers_.

"All right Hot Stuff, I know that you must be simply thrilled at the idea of sleeping in the same room as a woman as beautiful as myself, but do try to keep those teenage boy hormones to an absolute minimum." Jun finished unrolling her blanket on a cot and scowled at Zuko. He pulled off his shirt and glared back. Okay, so he did feel a little shiver of pleasure as he stared at Jun in her camisole and shorts, but he did have self-control.

Without another word, they both crawled into bed and Zuko blew out the lamp. Once more, it was quiet, dark, and peaceful aboard the stolen ship.

**Well, there you have it! Tell me what you thought!**

**I think Jun's a brat-Zuko**

**I think Zuko's a pervert-Jun**

**Your opinions don't count, shut up!**

**Reviews make the world go round!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Well, here you are, the new chapter, which I think turned out pretty good, if I do say so myself. Injoi! **

Iroh breathed in the steam from his tea and sighed deeply. He closed his eyes and appeared to be in a completely peaceful state. Then those amber eyes opened and he commanded "Again!"

Zuko and Jun wordlessly set up the sequence again. Iroh had taken over coaching, refereeing, and advising their afternoon sessions, which had become a daily routine. It was so great to see Zuko interact with someone his own age. The prince never gave more of himself then when he was up against Jun. _Yes, _Iroh thought to himself._ This turned out to be a good experience after all. _

He nodded his approval and it started again. First, both would strike a pose, legs apart, arms up and the ready, concentration flowing. Then one of them, usually Zuko because he was so impatient, would lunge forward. Jun wouldn't move until the last moment, then SWOOSH! she would twirl and strike back. It was all very impressive to watch.

Today they were doing particularly well. Zuko was finally starting to shed his usual tension and relax, resulting in a better fight. Zuko would step forward and strike out. Then Jun would take a step backward and confidently block it.

"Well done," Iroh commented and sipped his tea.

Again, the Firebender stepped and tried to deliver a blow. Jun narrowed her eyes menacingly and forced Zuko back. Before he could counter it, Jun managed to kick him to the ground.

"Excellent!" Iroh stood up and looked on approvingly. The bounty hunter smirked down at her opponent, who scowled to cover his anger and embarrassment. Jun stooped to help him up, but continued to smile smugly. Her pride gave way to curiosity, though, as she studied something in the sky behind Zuko's head. "What's that?"

A small, red spot appeared on the horizon, moving toward them. As it drew closer, the object grew wings and a head. It was a Fire Navy hawk, with a piece of paper attached to its legs. It swooped down and landed neatly on the side of the ship. Iroh carefully removed the message from the hawk, which promptly ruffled its feathers and took flight. Zuko and Jun stayed silent as he read through the letter. The old general's face turned unreadable.

"Well? What does it say?" Zuko snarled. Iroh held it out to him, but Jun snatched it up first. Deciding that it wouldn't be very smart to test a person who could easily kick his butt, Zuko was forced to read the letter over her shoulder. It read:

_Prince Zuko_

_You assistance is requested at a battle in the Earthbending _

_city of Fa-Taeo. Bring only your strongest and bravest _

_crewmembers and arrive within 48 hours._

_Respectfully,_

_Admiral Shang_

Jun looked up.

"So, what are we going to do?"

Zuko turned from her to look out onto the sea.

"We go and we fight," he said simply.

"But Prince Zuko, think. Do we really have time for a detour?"

"I need to do this for my country, for my honor." Zuko didn't turn around. Iroh sighed.

"Very well. I'll go alert the navigator of the change of course." He went down below the deck.

It was quiet, except for the rustling of the letter still clutched in Jun's fist. She looked at it again.

"Hey, Zuko," she said. "Would—"

"Yes, Jun," Zuko cut her off and finally turned around. "I would consider you one of my 'strongest and bravest crewmembers'." He leaned against the side of the ship and gave Jun a rare smile.

Avatar Avatar Avatar Avatar 

Latifa scrunched up her eyebrows and put a hand up to block the late afternoon sun as she gazed across the horizon in search of Zuko's ship. Aang and Katara had clamored away tirelessly about the prince and his uncle and his ship, which they didn't know had been destroyed, but the Lifebender wanted to see Zuko for herself. She let out a deep breath, her swirls glowed, and she spread her power out with a little _whoosh_ of air. Eager to see more Lifebending, Katara and Aang put down the firewood they were carrying to camp and hurried up the hill Latifa stood on. Sokka groaned to be left doing all the work and reluctantly followed.

"Did you find him yet?" Aang asked.

"No, still looking. Hmmm, he shouldn't be too far away…no, that's a fishing boat…no….no…eww, that's nasty, definitely not…oh, this looks promising! All right, I see a Fire Navy ship…crew…oh, who's this? All right! This is it! I've found Iroh! Then this must be…yes, here's Zuko!" Latifa dropped the contact and looked curiously at Aang.

"I wonder…here Aang, take my hand, with you being the Avatar, I bet our combined power will let me see more detail."

So the Airbender excitedly lent his power to Latifa, whose swirls glowed as she once again found the ship.

"Ahh! That's much better!"

"But I don't see anything," Aang said disappointedly.

"You're not trying hard enough, now let me see what Zuko's thinking. Oh, this isn't his ship, they stole it! He's looking at something, damn, I can't tell what…he's thinking…" she stopped and looked at Aang as though he probably shouldn't hear what she was going to say.

"He's thinking 'What an ass'. What _is_ he looking at! It must be a girl, I'm going to see who…Zuko's right, she's hot…she's a bounty hunter, do you guys know one?"

"We ran into one a while back," Katara said bitterly. "Does she have grey eyes and a skull in her hair?"

"Yep, must be her. Her name's Jun, by the way, Zuko hired her. I'm going back to him now. Oh, news! They're going to a battle tomorrow at the Earth city of Fa-Taeo, that's about thirty miles from here." Latifa broke all contact. Aang looked excited again.

"Do you know what this means? Latifa can find out what Zuko thinks! We can find out where he's going and what he planning and lots more!" Katara's face lit up with delight.

"You're right! Latifa, this is perfect! We'll spy on Zuko and he'll never find out!"

"Excellent! I can be your secret weapon!" The Lifebender, the Waterbender and the Avatar laughed and danced around in a sort of victory celebration.

"Whatever," Sokka muttered, wandering back to camp. "So now there's more _freaky magic_ involved. Fantastic! I love it; this just made my whole day."

Avatar Avatar Avatar Avatar 

After a long and fairly exhausting day getting the crew in order and sorting through armor, Zuko retired to his bedroom early. To his surprise, Jun was already there, lounging on her cot and running a brush through her black hair. She didn't say anything as he came in, but after he flopped head first onto his bed, she asked

"Are you nervous?"

Zuko rolled over to his side to look at Jun as he considered the question. Her eyes demanded an answer, but she was smiling. He reached down to pull off his boots and said simply

"Maybe."

Jun laid on her back and studied the ceiling.

"Because I could be. I might admit that."

Zuko slowly unbuckled his armor and let his eyes wander everywhere but on Jun. He wasn't actually sure how to answer.

"Well, uh," he started, uneasily. "We know what we're doing and um, I think it's going to be okay."

Jun held his eyes in hers for a moment, almost searching for something, then stopped and broke into a secretive grin.

"Well then, I guess I'm not too worried." She rolled over and faced away from him as if the conversation suddenly bored her.

Zuko was puzzled.

"Why?"

"Oh, just because," she answered vaguely.

Deciding that teenage girls were just about the strangest things creatures on the planet, Zuko blew out the lamp and climbed into bed.

"Because of you," Jun said quietly in the darkness.

-

-

That night, Zuko had a dream.

_He was walking somewhere. Down a familiar road, he'd been here before. He was going home! This was the road to his old home, the castle! Zuko broke into a run in excitement and burst through the huge stone doors. There were hundreds of people packed inside, people he'd known before he was banished and people he'd met on his journey and some people he didn't know at all. They had all been talking, but as soon as Zuko came in, they all cheered and laughed and ran forward to talk to him. _

"_What's going on, what happened?" He shouted, but nobody even heard him. _

_Iroh appeared. _

"_Prince Zuko! You've done it! Captured the Avatar, we've won the war!"_

_Before Zuko could answer, a hand was placed on his shoulder and he turned around to see who it was. A deep voice he hadn't heard in a long time said_

"_Zuko, my son, I'm proud of you."_

_Tears filled the prince's eyes and he could barely mouth the words "thank you" to his father. _

_Hours went by. The mad celebration drove far into the night. After stating over and over again that he couldn't remember how he had succeeded in capturing the Avatar, Zuko said_

"_All right! I'm going to bed!"_

_No one stopped him as he went upstairs to find his old bedroom. It was still there, just like he left it. Fully exhausted, he crawled into his old bed and was instantly asleep. He didn't know how long he had been asleep, maybe hours, maybe minutes, before he was awakened by a beam of light cutting into the room through the open door. Blinking at the sudden brightness, Zuko could just make out a dark figure in the doorway._

"_Who's there?" he asked timidly. The figure closed the door and came closer; Zuko was afraid. _

"_Who are you?"_

_The figure said nothing. It gracefully climbed on the bed and edged even closer, briefly brushing against Zuko, who was now stiff with fear. It was a person. It straddled his waist. It was Jun. Too shocked too say anything, Zuko simply stared. Jun wore a red lace thong and matching bikini top. She leaned forward and kissed Zuko gently on the mouth. He unfroze instantly; it was like stepping into a warm bath and Jun's hair smelled fresh, like jasmine._

"_Jun…" he started, but she put a finger to his lip. Jun licked the side of his neck and Zuko shivered with pleasure all over. He opened his mouth to try to talk again, but the entire room gave an abrupt, enormous lurch and Zuko found Jun, his bed, the walls, everything, swirling away into darkness…_

_-_

Zuko woke up suddenly and completely, in a terrified sweat. He breathed heavily and assured himself that it was alright; it was only the ship swerving to avoid some obstacle. He laid back down and said over and over again in his head, _it's alright, it's alright._ It wasn't alright. Zuko realized he was wet, not just with sweat. He closed his eyes, then forced himself to look under his blanket. He mentally groaned and let his head fall back into his pillow.

_Great, _he thought, furious with himself. _Of all the nights, ALL THE NIGHTS to have a wet dream, why not chose this one, when Jun is right there? Gawd, didn't I grow out of that stuff?_ Obviously not, it looked as if someone dumped a bucket of water all over his pants.

Zuko looked over to make sure that the subject of his, urm, 'accident' was still sleeping. She was, looking positively angelic, her black hair wildly arranged around her head, her moth still with that secretive smile, the one that said she knew something he didn't.

Ever so carefully, Zuko slid out of bed and crept silently around Jun, his goal the dresser at the other side of the room. He stalked to it and quietly opened it. He exchanged his soiled pants for a fresh pair, eyes never leaving Jun, who didn't even stir. Satisfied with his accomplishment, Zuko had just started to make the journey back to bed when Jun rolled over and propped her head up with her arm, her expression smug. She wasn't asleep after all.

"Hmmmm, too bad, I _did _warn you about the teenage-boy-hormone-thing. Oh, well. Good night Zuko, keep 'em dry." She rolled over again and really did fall asleep, leaving Zuko embarrassed, flushed, and, somehow, slightly pleased.

**Me- Welllllllllllllll…Zuko, very nice….**

**Zuko- WE ARE NEVER SPEAKING OF THIS AGAIN! (storms off angrily)**

**Jun- (trys not to laugh) Snorts (bursts out laughing)**

**Zuko- AND THAT WOULD BE SPEAKING OF IT AGAIN!**

**Bring on the reviews!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Here is my unofficial first attempt at writing more serious fiction. More bleak in the middle, with a sunny ending. Do Injoi. **

The day began early for Zuko and Jun, who were both up before dawn. Since it was far too soon to prepare for the battle, Zuko went up to the deck to watch the sun come up. He did this quite often; it made him feel stronger, understandably, considering his Bending was stronger in daylight. Though he usually liked to go alone, he didn't object when Jun followed him. They traipsed up the stairs and there were a few moments of awkward silence while the two of them looked into the promising horizon. Zuko felt extremely uncomfortable, remembering last night… Jun, however, seemed perfectly unconcerned and didn't bring up the subject. It was still awkward, though. Luckily, Zuko was spared the agony of trying to start up a conversation, because Iroh appeared.

"Ahh," the old general sighed. "Going to be a beautiful day."

He received no answer. The sea glimmered as the sun's brightness began to sweep over the landscape.

"Yes," Iroh continued. "The days of war are often lovely. Fate's way of mocking us, I suppose…"

Finally, the sun slowly crept into view, spreading golden light onto the ship. Zuko sighed with contentment.

"Glorious," muttered Iroh. "Well, we had better get ready."

He placed his hand briefly on his nephew's shoulder and went below deck.

Jun allowed Zuko exactly 40 seconds to stare at the sky before she gave a large, false yawn and pretended to lose her balance and fall dramatically into him. A thin line of flame burst from each of the prince's nostrils as he whipped around and gave her an angry look, knowing she was just trying to aggravate him. But Jun merely laughed and went below. Zuko's anger instantly faded and a small smile came to his face. He followed her.

-

There was a lot more to preparing for a battle than just meditating and strapping your armor on more tightly. Zuko and Jun both donned grey bodysuits and thick socks. Then there were heavy chest plates and leg plates of tough metal. Bracers for the forearms, shoulder pads, and neck pieces came next. Last were a belt and the steel-toed boots. Jun finished first. She pulled her hair back and held her helmet as she waited for Zuko. He stood up and looked at her in her full armor. It fit perfectly. Not the actual armor, but the attitude, the concentration that came with war. This lifestyle fit Jun. She looked calm, yet brave and powerful. Zuko found himself staring so long, that she cleared her throat loudly. Zuko shook his head to clear it. He suddenly remembered something. He turned to open a wooden chest and rummage through it. The prince pulled out a long object wrapped in red cloth. He presented it to Jun, who unwrapped it. It was a narrow-bladed sword with gold and several bright rubies on the handle. Her eyes grew wide.

"Swords like these are forged for non-benders," Zuko explained. "You are now an honorary member of the Fire Nation."

-

It was still fairly early when they arrived at Fa-Taeo. Admiral Shang was at the dock, waiting for them. As soon as Zuko stepped off the ship, followed closely by Jun, he sank into a deep bow.

"Prince Zuko," the admiral said respectfully. "I am glad you could take the time to come and fight."

Zuko nodded.

"For the Fire Nation," he said.

"Of course. Come, your transportation is provided." He started down the dirt path through the forest. Zuko turned to glance back at the ship; roughly half the crew would be staying behind. He breathed a heavy sigh. Jun shrugged and went after the admiral. Again, Zuko followed her.

-

Not even an hour later, Zuko found himself atop a komodo rhino, out over a steep hill. He looked over to his left and saw his uncle, solemn and steady, he was certainly used to this, then over to his right, at Jun, whose rhino pawed the ground anxiously. Zuko looked down to his own steed, a female. They were prized by the Fire Nation for their fine temperament, yet unyielding courage. _Like Jun, _he thought and nudged the animal closer to his friend.

"Jun," Zuko said quietly, "I just wanted to tell you that…whatever happens today…it's just that…" The bounty hunter cocked her head to one side in an adorable way and waited for him to go on.

"I only wanted to tell you that…" he took a deep breath "I think you're really beautiful and smart and amazing and I really like you and…yeah." Jun smiled that mysterious smile.

"Aww, thanks, Zuko. I really like you too." She smiled again, put her helmet on, and drew her sword.

Zuko managed a weak smile, put on his own helmet, and moved back into his place, feeling slightly disappointed. There was no time to dwell on it though, because Admiral Shang trotted up to Zuko on his rhino.

"Prince Zuko?" he said. "We're ready now." Zuko took a deep breath and tried to keep the quiver out of his voice.

"Alright."

There was a deathly silence as Shang rode up in front of the army. Zuko swallowed hard and clenched his knees more tightly.

_This is really happening_, he thought. _We're really here. We could die out here._ He tried to shake that thought from his head.

The tense quiet continued. Every so often, a rhino would shuffle around a little or snort, but their riders were all alike; looking forward and anxious. The admiral raised his right arm and the army waited with baited breath.

Shang brought his arm down in a swift motion, letting out a swirl of fire and there was a terrible, pounding scream as the army charged. Rhinos growling and riders yelling, they ran down into the valley. The Earth kingdom soldiers were ready for them. They yelled and galloped on their ostriches, thick with armor. Like a bolt of thunder striking the earth, the armies collided.

There was no feeling. There was no emotion. There was only fire burning and steel smashing steel and earth crunching and screaming. All his years training hadn't quite prepared Zuko for the experience. He saw a tongue of fire sizzle by his head and was thrown forward by a pillar of rock Bent up under his steed. All he thought was to fight, to lash out with his fire and destroy. Several times, he caught a glimpse of Jun cracking a skull with her sword or Iroh knocking men unconscious with great bursts of flame. It didn't matter, though. Out there, everyone was the same, soldiers fighting for their lives.

The Earthbenders were outnumbered to begin with. As bodies gruesomely fell in pools of blood, Zuko became aware of the fact that there were winning. Encouraged by this, he fought back with much more enthusiasm. They were going to win, if only he kept going a little longer…then, suddenly, it stopped. On some unspoken signal, the Earthbenders quit fighting and retreated.

_They had won_.

Zuko was already sore and bruised, but he smiled an exuberant, satisfied smile just the same. He looked around and saw Jun and Iroh. Both had dented armor and were smeared with mud and muck, but they were both alive. They were alive and Zuko was alive and he was so filled with pride and happiness. Jun grinned at Zuko and he felt a tremor of excitement dance through his stomach. He was sure this was a memory he'd never forget...

Suddenly, strangely, Jun and Iroh grew out of focus. Everything was going dark, the sky itself was black. There was a horrible, numbing pain and Zuko collapsed to the ground.

_-_

_Nothing made any sense and was accented by darkness. Memories drifted in and out of Zuko's head. Several times, he thought he saw Jun's face or heard his name._

_-_

_He was a small boy, no older than six, and Azula had promised to show him a new Firebending move if he waited by the dungeon until supper. Zuko had sat and waited all night. His sister never showed up. The floor was so cold and he was too afraid to move. So he sat and cried until morning, when Iroh found and comforted him._

_-_

_He was kneeling on his father's Agni-Kai podium, begging for mercy. _

"_Please Father! I meant you no disrespect! I only had the Fire Nation's best interests at heart!"_

"_Prince Zuko, rise and fight!"_

"_No, I won't!" Tears streamed down his face._

"_You will learn respect and suffering will be your teacher!" The Fire Lord struck out and Zuko screamed with unimaginable pain._

_-_

_He and Iroh had just met Jun and rode with her on the shirashu. Iroh had made a big deal of not letting Zuko even sit behind Jun. Why was that?_

_-_

Zuko groaned and squinted. Jun was slowly coming into view, looking pale and worried. She turned around and said "Iroh. He's awake."

Zuko's uncle hurried over. Zuko himself realized he was lying in his bed. He tried to sit up, but his head was pounding.

"Wha-what happened?" he asked groggily.

"Some angry Earthbender tried to take you out," Jun answered. "You've been down for about an hour."

"Ahh, but our Jun was more than a match for him," Iroh said proudly.

"So I broke his spine in a few places." Jun shrugged modestly. "No big deal. You would have done the same for me."

Zuko wanted to laugh, but his head was aching too much. He attempted to get up again, but Jun pushed him back and Iroh said

"No! You need rest."

The prince sighed and frowned at his uncle and best friend for caring too much about him. Iroh chuckled.

"Always so ambitious, Prince Zuko. Do get some sleep. I'm going to go get us back on course. We still have the Avatar to catch." He left the room, closing the door softly to avoid aggravating Zuko's headache. Zuko sighed again.

"Jun, I"

"No," she shushed him. He noticed that she had a deep cut along her cheek. "Don't talk, go to sleep."

Zuko knew it would be pointless to argue with her. He rolled over and sank into a deep, dreamless sleep.

-

He slept a few hours more. When Zuko woke up, he only opened his eyes very slightly and looked around the room. It was strewn with various packages and bottles of medicines and herbs. Jun sat at the other end of the room, studying a long and complicated scroll. Zuko smiled softly to himself and thought of what must have happened: they were still at the dock and his uncle had sent for healers to lessen his injury. Jun had shoved them all out and insisted on healing him herself. And Zuko had to admit that he did feel better. So much better that he could get up and out of bed.

"Oh, you're awake."

He nodded.

"Want anything? We just finished dinner."

Zuko shook his head.

"No. I'm alright."

He crossed the room, opened the door, and started for the upper deck. Jun came with him. The sun was just setting, casting red light over the sea. Zuko went to the deck and took a deep breath of salty air. It was amazing to think that he'd been in that very spot that morning, thinking about what could happen that day.

Jun came over and looked into the horizon. The sky was beautiful, orange and yellow, with a few white clouds drifting by. As pretty as it was, Zuko wasn't even watching the sunset. He was watching Jun.

He loved how mysterious her grey eyes made her look and her perfectly shaped mouth. Her hair flowed freely around her face. Her only flaw was the cut on her cheek, but it only made Zuko like her even more to know that she was so brave and strong. She noticed his staring and smiled at him.

Zuko wasn't sure what made him do it. Maybe it was part of the aftermath of the battle. Maybe it was because she had healed him. Maybe it was because he had suffered a head injury, Zuko didn't know. Whatever the reason, something made Zuko lean over and kiss Jun. It wasn't for very long, but the fact remained: Zuko had kissed Jun.

He expected her to get angry. He expected to get the silent treatment. He expected to sleep in his uncle's room for a long time. In fact, Zuko half expected Jun to slap him.

What he did _not_ expect was for her to throw herself around him and kiss him back. Yet, that's exactly what she did. Jun's arms were around his neck, pulling him closer, full of a deep passion. Zuko was so surprised, it was a moment before he circled his arms around her waist and accepted her tongue pushing between his lips.

Nothing else mattered. There was no one else in the world and they only existed for each other. Zuko wasn't a banished prince with a horrible scar and very little hope for the future. Right then, he was just a guy in love.

**CUTE! (At least in my so humble opinion) **


	5. Chapter 5

**Now, for your convenience (and because neither part was long enough to be a whole chapter), this chapter is spilt into two parts. AND, at the advice of SEVERAL PEOPLE (you know who you are!), the, uh, _scene_, in Part One has been taken down…A LOT!**

**I think it still gets the point across though.**

-

**PART ONE**

After the battle, a barrier was broken down in Jun and Zuko's relationship. They fought together with more enthusiasm (and closer contact…) and kissed and laughed at the dumb things Iroh sometimes said. Most of all, they talked. They pursued every subject, from what Zuko would do as Fire Lord, to why Jun had left her shirashu, to better plans to capture Aang. And the more they talked, the more Zuko fell into a state of complete contentment with the world. Suddenly, capturing the Avatar didn't seem so hard. Honor and approval from his father didn't matter. Time meant nothing. Love was making its presence known.

One night, the young couple lay together on the deck under the light of the stars. Jun rested her head on Zuko's chest, feeling the deep rise and fall of his breathing and the drum of his heartbeat. She gave a sigh of happiness.

"Zuko?"

"Hmmm?"

"Are you happy? Right now?"

The prince thought for a moment.

"Happier than I've ever been in my life." He smiled at Jun and looked up to the sky.

"It's getting late. But…"

"But what?"

"But I don't want this to end…"

"It doesn't have to," Jun said quietly. Zuko shot her a questioning look.

She smiled sweetly, got to her feet, and offered her hand to help him up. Zuko allowed her to lead him down below deck and into their room, her fingers laced around his.

Jun closed the door after them. When she wasn't looking, Zuko also locked it…

-

Hours later, not long before dawn, they laid quietly, still awake, in each other's arms. Zuko massaged Jun's bare back and whispered, "Jun?"

"Yes?"

"I love you."

"I love you, too," she whispered back. She sighed deeply and fell asleep.

Zuko remained awake a few minutes longer, just watching her sleep and thinking, thinking of how different things had become since a few hours ago. And although he didn't even know the full effect of their actions yet, it was still remarkable think about. Jun's mouth spread itself into that mysterious, knowing smile again, but this time, it was her that didn't know.

_A few hours ago…_

**Wow. No comment.**

**-**

**PART TWO**

For a time, every thing was fine. For a few, short, blissful weeks, life was pure and uncomplicated, the way it should be. For Zuko, it was almost like living in someone else's life, a life of peace and love. But it was Zuko's life, so it didn't take long before all the happiness evaporated and the storm rose again.

It started out simply.

One morning, Jun woke up nauseous. Still being tired and not fully awake, she sat up slowly and tried to work out the problem.

"Morning, Jun," Zuko said sleepily and rolled over. Jun didn't say anything. She was afraid to open her mouth. The ship suddenly hit a rough wave that jostled the room around. That was it. Jun leaped out of the room and sprinted to the side of the deck, where she proceeded to throw up. Again…and again.

Zuko stumbled out of bed and caught up with her.

"Jun?" he asked tentatively, as she vomited a fourth time. "Are you all right? Are you sick?"

Jun turned around and wiped her mouth. Her skin had turned a ghastly pale white and she was trembling.

Iroh came up to see what was going on.

"Oh, my," he said. "Jun, do you not feel well?"

She weakly shook her head.

"You need rest," Iroh said wisely. "Go get some more sleep." And that was exactly what she did.

-

Jun curled up in Zuko's bed and didn't get up again until late afternoon. She wandered to the dining room, where everyone was eating lunch and discussing her dilemma in hushed voices.

"Jun!" Zuko exclaimed, relieved to see her up. "Are you hungry? Would you like some thing to eat?"

"Well, maybe," she said, sitting down. Iroh handed her a bowl of noodles. Jun stared at it for a moment, before suddenly jumping up and running out. Zuko went after her again and stood back as she emptied her stomach yet again. Seeing the girl he loved so vulnerable and sick brought a pain of sorrow over him. After she finished, he tightly embraced her, stroking her hair and letting her quietly cry on his shoulder.

"Jun, really, are you going to be okay?" She sniffed pitifully.

"I don't know. I really don't know…"

-

Jun's illness continued for three long days. On the fourth day, both Zuko and Iroh were fully thankful when Jun marched right out of bed and sat down to eat breakfast with them.

"Good!" Zuko said. "Do you feel better? Are you hungry?"

The latter was a pretty stupid question. Jun seized every dish within reach and began to eat as if she was starving.

"'M fne," she said thickly through a mouthful of roast duck and reaching for the rice. The prince, the old man, and the entire crew gave her a look that suggested she was dangerous. It was bizarre to see someone who had been so sick just yesterday eat like a wild hogmonkey.

"_What_?" Jun said irritably, noticing their staring. No one had the heart to say anything.

"Fine, if you don't want to put up with me, I'll go somewhere else."

She grabbed enough food to feed a small army and stormed off. Zuko turned to Iroh.

"Do all women get like this or am I just lucky?"

**Me, the Goddess-As for Jun's strange symptoms, I will say nothing because I am the author and I don't just give away things. **

**Jun-As for my strange symptoms, I will say nothing, because it's really none of your business.**

**Zuko-As for Jun's strange symptoms, I will say nothing because I don't actually have the slightest clue to what's going on.**

**Bring on the controversy! **


	6. Chapter 6

**Okay, yes, it has been a while since I last updated, but CHILL IT PEOPLE! End of the year stuff had me SWAMPED! I just went on a long and extremely exhausting trip to Washington D.C., plus add summer band (6'o clock in the morning, I play the clarinet), babysitting the little bro, and all that other summer jazz, I'M WIPED OUT! MAYBE I will have some more time to write now, but I really DO NOT appreciate the "Hurry up! I've been waiting forever!" reviews! **

**Don't you guys have anything better to do then write those?**

**On the plus side, I am pretty proud of this chapter, I think it was actually worth the wait.**

**NOTICE: This chapter iz actually a few dayz later than it was supposed to be; I had a problem uploading it.**

**INJOI! REALLY! **

Jun's condition steadily deepened. Her skin grew pale and translucent-looking. Her ravenous appetite continued. And yet, she refused to let it interfere with her daily activities.

Jun insisted that she and Zuko kept their workouts, though he tried to talk her out of it.

"I'm not helpless," she snarled. "And I'm not weak. I'm just sick. It will pass."

So Zuko had no choice but to keep sparring with her, though it tortured him inside to do it.

-

"More energy, Prince Zuko, you're not even trying," Iroh said, watching Zuko's feeble attempts to block Jun.

No, he was not trying; today he really was afraid of hurting Jun.

This made her furious. Ignoring technique, she punched him in the stomach. Hard. Zuko grimaced in pain, but did not strike back. Iroh chuckled softly.

"Prince Zuko, don't you think you ought to defend yourself?"

Zuko turned around to give his uncle a dirty look. Jun seized this opportunity to swing her leg into his ankles, knocking Zuko's feet out from under him. Iroh had difficulty stifling his laughter as the prince got up angrily. He scowled at the old man, whose amusement left his face almost instantly. But he was not looking at his nephew. His eyes were focused on Jun. Zuko slowly turned back around.

Jun had gone white and her whole body quivered. The effort had been too much for her fragile condition. And before Zuko or Iroh could rush to catch her fall, Jun had collapsed to the ground in a dead faint.

-

Jun woke up half an hour later, feeling cold and miserable. Then she remembered what happened and started to sob.

"Please," Zuko pleaded. "Don't cry. It's…it's alright. Everything's fine." He still wasn't exactly the comforting type. Jun stopped crying and was immediately angry again.

"_No_, everything is _not _fine. Where have_ you_ been? It is _not _alright! And why are you telling me what to do, anyway? I _hate_ that! Leave me alone!"

Jun went to bed early. Iroh said she was moody. She threw a teacup at his head. Then she went to her shared room and threw herself on Zuko's bed. But she couldn't sleep. Trying to give her plenty of time to be by herself, the prince waited hours before quietly slipping in and laying down next to Jun, who pretended to be deep in slumber. It wasn't long before Zuko had fallen asleep. Jun laid and stared at the ceiling, hoping to drift off. She sighed, also hoping to control the nausea in her belly.

Too late. Jun made yet another dash to the side of the ship, vomiting twice. Exhausted, she slumped against the deck, holding her aching stomach. Her _stomach_…

A new revelation came to her, first just a seed of an idea, then growing stronger, taking root and sweeping dread and confusion all over her body. It _could_ be true… it wasn't impossible….it made sense…it _might_ be true…the symptoms…it just might…it _was_ true. That was a terrifying thought. Jun grasped the side of the deck and shook her head.

"No…no, no, NO!"

Tears rolled down her cheeks, she gasped and held her stomach, quite overtaken with emotion. She was afraid and alone and-

"So it is true," said a wise, comforting voice. Iroh. Coming out of the shadows, his eyes were watery too, but they held another feeling as well. Was it…wonder? He looked out over the sea, it glimmering with tiny specs of starlight. "Such a miracle. And a blessing. Even though you don't appreciate it now."

Jun was surprised and alarmed.

"But how did you _know_-"

"I once had a son." Iroh looked away, his voice quivering a little. There was silence.

"Zuko never told me that," Jun answered quietly.

"Zuko has experienced…much sadness and loss," He sounded stronger now. "This will be the best thing to ever happen to him."

"He's so young," Jun mused.

"You are young too," Iroh gently reminded her, "but strong. You both are strong."

Jun smiled as several more tears fell and tightly hugged Iroh.

"There, there. No more crying! This is a time of great happiness!"

He held her close, then let her go to dry her eyes. There was quiet for a few minutes more.

"You know, you are going to have to tell Zuko sometime. Sometime soon."

Jun groaned.

"Can't we just wait a few months and let him find out on his own?"

Iroh laughed.

"No! He needs to hear it, and he needs to hear it from you. Tomorrow."

"Tomorrow," Jun agreed. She yawned.

"Time to go back to sleep." Iroh started to head back down the stairs. Jun took one last glance at the sea and remembered something.

"Oh, wait, Iroh!"

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry I threw that cup at you."

Again, he laughed.

-

While Jun felt better, Zuko started to really worry. He didn't actually sleep much; he dreamed that a huge tidal wave made of fire pulled Jun off the ship into a raging inferno of flame. (**A/N: O-kaaaay…**) He got up early and practiced alone on the desk, waiting for Iroh. By the time his uncle finally emerged, sleepy-eyed and yawning, Zuko had nearly worn a rut in the boards, pacing and racking his brains for a reason behind Jun's illness.

"Uncle, I just don't understand."

"Understand what?"

"Jun!" He shouted and threw his hands in the air from frustration. "She eats and sleeps, and she doesn't have any energy, and she throws up, and eats, and throws up, and-" He stopped dead in his tracks and closed his eyes.. "Ohhhhh, no. I know."

Iroh was almost relieved.

"Now, Prince Zuko, it is not your fault. It's just one of those things-"

"No, no, of course it's my fault! How could I have worked her so hard?"

Iroh coughed, embarrassed, he had not wanted to go into _details_…

"Now, Zuko.." But Zuko was absolutely rambling now.

"…I was just on her, all the time…not getting the moves right…how could I be so stupid?"

"_Zuko_!" Iroh had flushed a bright red.

"…now her life could be in danger…could _die_…"

Now Iroh was beginning to feel that they had both missed something.

"Prince Zuko, what on earth are you talking about? Why would Jun _die_?"

Zuko blinked.

"What on earth are _you _talking about? Jun's ANOREXIC! I pushed her too hard in training! She eats a lot, then she throws it up!"

Iroh sighed a deep, deep sigh and slowly shook his head. _My, poor, idiotic nephew…_

"Prince Zuko, I think you are mistaken."

"I am _not_ mistaken! She's anorexic! Jun is anorexic!"

"I am NOT anorexic!"

Jun herself came up, frowning, annoyed.

"Jun, it's okay. I know the truth now. You don't have to hide it."

"Boy, you really are stupid. I'M NOT ANOREXIC!"

"YES YOU ARE!"

"NO I'M NOT! I'M _PREGNANT_! I'M PREGNANT, YOU MORON!"

Zuko opened his mouth again, then closed it. He didn't seem to have anything to say. Silence.

"You are?" he finally said softly.

"YES! I've just been YELLING it at you!"

"Oh." At this point, Zuko just sighed. All the emotion seemed to have drained right out of him.

"I'm sorry."

Both Firebenders flinched, sure Jun was going to yell again. Instead, like Zuko, she just slouched and sighed.

"I'm sorry too. But we can't do anything about it. We're going to have to accept it."

She managed a small smile and took Zuko's hand, but he turned away. She continued anyway.

"We're going to have to _relax_ and be happy. And by _we_ I mean you. We have a child to raise and you need to chill."

Still, Zuko said nothing, but accepted Jun's arms around him. He looked at her thoughtfully, taking in her big grey eyes and the thin scar on her cheek from the battle. He loved her so much. So much that he knew he needed to at least _try_ and loosen up.

He smiled, but said

"I don't know…"

"Well, we're in it together."

"All three of us," Iroh added.

"Hah!" Jun's smile widened. "You mean FOUR of us!"

**So, you like?**


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